Halinski Curtiss Tomahawk IIB: A slow but steady build

[smithdr]

Thanks Erik and Glen...


Glen: Your darn P-51 really got me thinking so this is all your fault!


Erik: Thanks for commenting. This is my first of these kits...it's amazing how nice it is. I think it's complicated, but when I compare it to your Ju-88 or Ricardo's 262 or Igor's Sherman, I get humbled really, really fast!


It took a long time, but I got the gun breaches and the last main former in. I think I'll look up some web shots and see if there is some more plumbing I could put in the floor and maybe scratch it up a bit with a silver pencil. Next will be the side walls. It's actually going together really well and surprisingly quickly to me. Of course, now that I said that...


Cheers,
Dan

[smithdr]

Snail's pace. It took me all day to do the one side of the cockpit walls and I still missed a rib (dang). That will be easy to fix, though. One shot shows a work in progress while the other shows a side complete with a tad of touch-up paint. It sure looks busy and it seems it will actually fit around the cockpit too.


Keeping my fingers crossed...Dan

[smithdr]

The pictures tell the story of my additions. I can't believe how well this all fits. The side walls needed only a bit of trimming of some of the internal structure and they "snapped" into place. It's all very convincing. Now I know why folks like these kits so much. Just a bit of touch up painting and it's on to the next step...whatever that is!



Dan

[birder]

That is very nice work there Dan! You sure this is your first Halinsky? Nice start to this one, cleaner cockpit than mine definitely.

[Olo]

Hi Dan,

Halinski's models are great indeed. I am building my third model from his collection and I need to say that even though they involve lots of work ,they are so addictive. One thing I noticed when you color the edges of the parts try to use lighter color than original it won't be so visible. Great work so far ....Cheers

[Isaac]

Nice work with punching the holes for the instrument panel.


Your cockpit is more realistic now.


Nice work.

Isaac

[smithdr]

Thanks Glen, Olo and Isaac.


And Olo: Thanks for the lighter color idea. I did notice that and will really need to pay attention to that on the fuselage skins etc. In the pit, things are pretty dark and I'll do some tweaking but on the main parts...whoa nellie...


You are right. These are addictive. It's fun and rewarding to work on all that tiny detail with the knowledge that it will all fit in the end. Test fitting of the skins around the cockpit seem to suggest that is indeed the case!



Cheers,
Dan

[Abir Merlin]

Your cockpit is looking very good!

[Erik Zwaan]

Very well done Dan. Yes, it's amazing how many things can be stuffed inside a cockpit and it all still fits. Thanks for reminding the Ju-88. I was continuously surprised how well designed and easily everything fell into place. But..... you need to be continuously alert as the more precise a kit gets, the less forgiving it becomes when you make a mistake. Always fit and align twice before gluing right once.

I fully agree with the touchups: Go for a lighter shade as paint or marker always dries up slightly darker. In fact light grey works for almost everything.

Keep up the good work,
Erik

[smithdr]

Thanks, Erik...speaking of mistakes: My latest was last night as I was admiring my amazing work on the cockpit tub area and checking the fit of some of the cockpit skins. I suddenly realized that the rectangular box structure the formers were so carefully and strongly glued to was just a jig. Uh oh. I wish I could read Polish. It probably says in bold, Polish letters "DO NOT GLUE YOU MORON".



Lesson learned!



Dan